Annie West Swings From the Mizzenmast
I’m not sure what a mizzenmast is. We have Luke, Tristan, and Jack to look after the stateliness of the masts, impressing us with the magnificence of their erect…sorry, was having a Windflower moment there. Annie seems more the fun and carefree type to swing about a ship than board one, cutlass in her teeth.
After reading her amazing book, For the Sheikh’s Pleasure, I begged her to come interview with us when her next book came out, and guess what? Her new book is out! Available right now is: The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife, and if you haven’t already discovered Annie West, you need to discover her now. Pure GOLD.
So please welcome: Annie West!
Annie: Thanks so much for inviting me to be here, Hellion. It’s been lovely corresponding with you and I’m thrilled to be invited to your site. Fancy me being allowed into the pirate lair. Love it! I’ve always had a soft spot for buccaneers (as anyone who read my ‘Sheikh’s Ransomed Bride’ will know) so I’m very excited.
Hellion: Good! We’re excited to have you on board too. I could probably spend the next hour talking about the magnificence of my ship and crew, but…well…I want to talk about you and your books. You write the most amazing Harlequin Presents novels. Your characters are so detailed, alive; and your plot derives from character development. How do you work within the 200-250 page “limit” but still able to make the characters so well developed, we fill like we’ve grown up with them? (I’ve read some 400 page books where the author wasn’t able to do that!)
Annie: Hellion, you do know how to make a girl feel welcome, don’t you? I could sit and lap up this praise all day!
I think getting the feel for my characters is an area where I’ve improved. My first (unpublished) books were fairly heavily plotted and I wrote in line with what I’d planned, moving the characters like dolls along preordained routes. (Important Note: there’s nothing wrong with detailed plotting. If you write best like this, good on you!). Gradually though, I found that IF I had a good strong conflict between the hero and heroine, I could start writing with only a rough outline of what was going to happen. I’d jump into the opening (trying to choose a climactic moment of change) and ask myself several times a page ‘what is he/she thinking/feeling’? By focusing on a major, emotional event, where the stakes are high, I see my characters under stress. Sometimes they’ll respond to provocation in a certain way and I’ll wonder why. I go back to the information I’d jotted down about them and factor it in. Sometimes I’ll write an opening and that process of questioning why the character makes a stand or takes offence or runs away will throw up a whole new facet of their backstory, which then influences their later actions.
Having a good strong conflict helps enormously. If they both want something strongly, and that goal means the other character is definitely not the person they should hook up with, it makes the intensity so much stronger. Each needs to challenge the other in some way.
I write long then cut. When I revise I have to be ruthless, searching out paragraphs, sentences or even words that don’t add value. I look for characters saying the same thing in different ways (which mine do early on while I’m still sorting out their motivation). I look for sections where the reading slows or there’s little dialogue. By ripping out the nice, feel good stuff I enjoyed but which isn’t high stakes emotion or a new point that drives the plot forward, I can make it a lot tighter. I also look closely at my secondary characters and my transition scenes. If it’s not absolutely necessary (and you’d be surprised what isn’t) then I take it out.
Hellion: Dang, you are fierce with a cutlass! Question everything and go for the biggest emotional impact (and payoff). You make it sound easy! How long have you been writing; and what’s your Call Story?
Annie: I started writing about 12 years ago. Fortunately I found out about Romance Writers of Australia at the same time, so as I was writing my first book I was learning about submission processes and writing techniques. I found the support of other writers wonderful, plus I sold a couple of short stories which gave me hope that someone liked my writing. Finally I had a book accepted in 1999 by a small Aussie press. I was thrilled, overjoyed, ecstatic! The press closed the year after ‘Strictly Business’ came out due to distribution troubles. Then came the hardest part of all – feeling that I’d come close but not close enough. The editorial door was shut again. I tried writing for a few different lines and received very encouraging feedback, but never an acceptance. Eventually a kind editor spoke to me about my voice, which she enjoyed, and my writing, ditto, and the fact that neither fitted what they were seeking. As I’d tried all the publishers I thought would take my work, I was about to give up. My last fling was to write a book called ‘The Mistress Makeover’ for Harlequin Presents. I knew it wouldn’t succeed (I didn’t think I could write a good alpha hero) but after a writers’ workshop with Emma Darcy and Miranda Lee I was so enthused I had to try. The feeling of writing that story was incredible. The words flowed and I felt as if I’d come home. I felt that story as I never had before. It was still hard work but it felt right. A chunk of it placed in a contest but the editor didn’t request it. Nettled, I revised it again (I’d never revised so much) and sent it in to the slush pile. In early December 2005 I heard from Harlequin Mills and Boon that they wanted to buy it. I had to read the email 3 times before I believed it and I kept going back to the computer all day just to check I wasn’t hallucinating. The book was published a year later as ‘A Mistress for the Taking’.
Hellion: (You’re going to do great a keynote-speaking, if you haven’t been asked to do that yet. That’s a keynote story if I ever heard one!) You write the most breathtaking emotion. Is that just something that comes naturally to you, or do you layer it in with each draft? How many drafts do you write?
Annie: Wow, thanks, Hellion. That’s the loveliest compliment. Does it come naturally to me? It seems to but then maybe it’s something that’s developed over those long years of learning how to get a story down. The reason I’ve always loved a good romance (and a Presents story in particular) is that oomph of emotion – that physical whack of sensation in the solar plexus when you really feel for the characters and empathize with what’s happening to them – the highs and especially the lows. Maybe knowing that, I’ve always focused hard on trying to build that into the book. Not that it’s necessarily always easy, but it’s always been a priority for me. 
I tend to get as much of that emotion as I can onto the page as I write the first draft. Sometimes it works better than others, but I’d much rather try to do that from the beginning than write something sketchy and return later to add the feelings in. To me those emotions are so integral they actually drive the scene and I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve intended to end a scene in a particular way, only to discover as I delve into the character’s feelings and their reactions to what’s happening, that something else entirely different (and much better) should happen. If I’d written a draft without that detail it wouldn’t be the characters driving the story, it would be me following a pre-determined plotline without their input. (I know this makes it sound like the characters are real in my head but it’s true). Attempting to include this emotional perspective from the start is also a great way to get to know your characters fast.
I do several drafts. I print off at least 3 versions for a complete read through, and some scenes get multiple makeovers. Later drafts have large chunks or chapters that are more or less untouched and other bits that have been reworked several times. If there’s a pacing problem, for instance, then I’ll hone in on that section and keep at it till I think it’s right. Some sections mightn’t change from the first draft. (I love those sections. There should be more of them).
Hellion: I wish I had more of those sections myself! *LOL* What is your new book (The Greek Tycoon’s Unexpected Wife) about, and what did you love most about writing it?
Annie: Most of all I loved the intensity of this story. For me that just sizzled, and I hope I managed to get some of that on the page. The emotions were so strong they drove the plot right from the start, even when I wasn’t sure what the plot was going to be. *grins* I was so excited when I first imagined Stavros and Tessa and the set up for this story. Stavros Denakis is a Greek tycoon with everything: wealth, power, status and a gorgeous fiancée. The night of his exclusive A-List party to celebrate his engagement he has an unexpected visitor – his wife. It was fun creating that appalling situation, then watching the fireworks go off! Stavros is used to getting his own way and he isn’t amused. He suspects his long lost wife is there to make trouble and milk him for cash. He and Tessa had only been together for the shortest of times, and he believed her dead. Now he realises he doesn’t know her at all. Tessa was great to write too, strong in a quiet, dignified way that makes him slowly rethink his attitude. To me they seemed to complement each other. The book is out now in North America as a mid month “Presents Extra” release.
Hellion: Awesome, I love the possible fireworks scenarios for that sort of scene! Hilarious! Stavros definitely sounds like a very broody, not to be thwarted hero. On your website, it says you always create “heroes who are always dark, brooding, demanding and extremely sexy” (of which I can concur!): have you always been in love with alphas? Who do you draw your inspiration from?
Annie: Ah, the quote from Penny Jordan. Isn’t it a ripper? I was so thrilled when I read that I had to put it on the site.
I love romances with heroes that sweep me right off my feet. I’d never thought about whether they were alphas before I started writing. I’ve enjoyed boy-next-door stories and others where the hero, though fantastic, wasn’t a really an alpha character, but there’s something about a strong hero (and I’m not necessarily talking about muscles) that always works for me. Interestingly, I used to think I couldn’t write an alpha hero (Anna Campbell, my crit partner, will remember me bemoaning the fact) till I tried my hand at it and loved it. What works best for me is a hero with a strong sense of honor, of right and wrong that he will abide by no matter what the cost to himself. That means my heroes aren’t the sort to throw their weight around for the sake of it. They have an inner core of decency that I can rely on even if sometimes their understanding of a situation may make them do something they later regret (and boy do they regret it). And I love a heroine who can stand up to the most powerful man around and hold her own! An alpha can have a touch of danger about him which fascinates me, especially as you wonder whether he’ll use the full force of that power to get what he wants.
Where do I get my inspiration? He laughs when I say it, but definitely my husband. Of course, I have to do a bit of additional research for my heroes – books and movies and fantastic leading men like Richard Armitage, Clive Owen and so on can definitely inspire. And, um, chocolate sometimes helps!
Hellion: Richard inspires us daily around here. Excellent research skills you have, Ms. West. *grins* Okay, now for a serious question: You’re marooned on an island and can only have one. Who would it be: Will Turner, Jack Sparrow or James Norrington?
Annie: All three! Oh dear, that makes me sound awful, doesn’t it? But I refuse to have just one. They all have something going for them. Don’t you think? Jack Sparrow has the presence, the panache, the bad boy charisma and he’d be a hoot to share a bottle of rum with. I might die of dehydration but I’d be laughing as I did. James Norrington – well I’ve always had a soft spot for the honorable, serious hidebound hero in hopes of uncovering the less straight-laced man beneath. Will Turner has grown on me. Between you and me I found him a little to, er, young for my taste but he matured beautifully and I love his absolute determination and jump-in-boots-and-all approach to life.
Hellion: *laughing* You’re definitely a pirate to take all three! And great justification for such greediness as well! Can you tell us what is coming out next for you?
Annie: Next is the ‘The Desert King’s Pregnant Bride’. It’s available in the UK in October, Australia/New Zealand in November and hopefully in North America soon after that (I’m waiting to hear). It’s about an ordinary, hardworking girl who works in a racing stable (I had fun researching that) who falls for an Arab prince with a difference. Khalid is scarred by his past but determined to do the right thing by the woman who is carrying his child. He’s strong, determined, honorable and not looking for love. It’s a marriage of convenience story…with a few twists. 
Hellion: Being you totally won me over with Sheikhs with the book you sent to me, I know this is going to be another winner. Plus, hello, horses. Okay, last question, then the crew can fire away. You and Anna Campbell (veteran Pirate) are good friends. Just what is a typical day with the two of you like when you get together?
Annie: Noisy! Anna, are you there? I’m smiling just thinking about us having a day together. Anna and I don’t live near each other so getting together is a real treat. A typical day would be talking too much, eating too much and washing it all down with something tasty. We wake early and chat while still in our PJs, which is brilliant. Sometimes breakfast and getting dressed don’t happen for hours or breakfast will turn into lunch. Often there’s critiquing, during which time Anna is positively dangerous (she’s been known to wave a cutlass at me when excited). We talk about plots or treat ourselves to an outing. Often we’ll end up people watching or window shopping (including looking in exclusive stores for stunning shoes for my heroine who’d landed herself a role as a rich man’s mistress). One of the best things about our days together is our tradition of great waterfront (of course) lunches. Before our ‘big breaks’ we promised ourselves a harbourside lunch to celebrate the acceptance of each new book. I pictured us giggling as we spoke about our books. Now we get to do it for real, not just imagine it!
Hellion: Thank you, Annie, you’ve been a wonderful interviewee! Okay, crew, fire away! What questions have you for Mad Annie Mizzenmast…er, I mean, the incomparable Annie West?
Books by the Crew
93 comments:
Hmm, Mad Annie Mizzenmast! I LIKE IT!!!
Hey, girls fantastic interview. I really enjoyed it and hey, I already knew most of that stuff already. Hellion, aren't I lucky? I get to see these books before anyone else! Makes me feel VERY special, in a Veteran Pirate sort of way.
What makes me laugh is Annie is making a career out of, among other gorgeous alpha males, sheikhs. Seriously she just wouldn't listen to me when I said she'd write a great sheikh. Was I right or was I right? I remember a very drunken night before Annie decided to take my suggestion seriously (separate to the night I threatened AW with the Wiltshire StaySharp carving knife - a night that will live in infamy, or at least in Annie's imagination!). Where we giggled like schoolgirls and decided Annie had to write a book called PASHING THE PASHA. I WANT PASHING THE PASHA!!! Are you writing him next, Ms. West?
Anna, I just KNEW you'd love Mad Annie Mizzenmast! I can see I'm going to 'Mad Annie' for short for the foreseeable future. (Possibly rightly so).
Ah, my life's an open book to you my dear. So if that makes you a veteran pirate...It's a wonder you haven't gone grey after listening to my whitter on about my plot problems. Though you maintain a lovely coif of caramel locks. Must be all that sea air!
Do I remember Pashing the Pasha? Of course! I've already told you that's the one we should write together. Hell's bells, what a process that would be. (Pass the rum). Actually, I think it would be a hoot. Maybe we could pass the red instead. Or the bubbly. That was so much fun coming up with titles to write to. As I recall we grew rather unrestrained. You do know how to lead a girl astray.
Yes, I do have an idea for the Pasha. Well, half an idea. I have a heroine and a palace and I've sort of got the Pasha (I wish) but some of the plot still eludes me. Will just have to wait till the grey cells pull it together a bit more.
In the meantime I've got another draft Anna Campbell masterpiece to look forward to. Yay!
Waving madly to Hellion who (at this time of the day in the US) is probably asleep in her cabin. Or have I got my times wrong?
Annie
Surely a Hellion is out carousing!
How could I have got that so wrong? In a waterfront tavern with a bunch of well-toned deckhands, do you think?
You know what's nice? It's evening here and definitely time for a glass of something liquid and refreshing. Off to pour a tot for myself... Hope you've got yourself something tasty there, Anna.
Annie
Hi Annie! Welcome aboard! I haven't had the opportunity to read one of your books yet, but am excited to try them out. My question is: What is your revision process? I'm convinced that in asking every author that comes by I'll eventually find what will work for me.
Hi Kelly, and thanks for the welcome. I'm so happy to be here. Isn't it just the most amazing page? I smile whenever I enter and see the graphics at the top of the page.
Hope you enjoy my books when you pick them up. Gee, I'm having a 'moment' here. It's just struck me (as it does now and then) how recently I was accepted by Harlequin. Here I am saying I hope you enjoy my books and another part of me is grinning like a loon thinking 'I've got books! And people read them!'. Sorry, sometimes it still seems extraordinary.
Ahem. Revisions. Well, there are revisions and then there are revisions. I'll concentrate on how I revise to get a book ready to submit rather than the process after an editor asks me to revise since they do tell me what they have a problem with. Fingers crossed for the next book at this point!
OK, where was I? I tend to do a lot of little revisions as I go. When I start writing each day I'll start by reading from the beginning of the scene or the beginning of the chapter so I'm in context. I find it easier to continue writing from there. In the process, if I notice problems or strange words I'll fix as I go. I try not to linger unless I feel there's a real problem, in which case I read carefully and try to nut out what it is. That way the draft isn't quite as rough as it could be when I get it down. When I've got the whole book I print it and read it, preferably over just a couple of days, so I can really concentrate on it. I look for areas where my mind wanders or where there are just too many words! Also I find sometimes my characters have developed or the backstory changed a tad as I wrote and I may have to fix a few anomalies. Reading in hard copy seems better for me - I pick up more problems.
Then I amend the whole thing on computer. Depending on how I feel about it then I may have another run through or I may send it to Anna (my crit partner) to read. (She'd probably say this is why she's taken to drink but it's a lie). Anna's great at pointing out repetitions and pacing problems and all sorts of things I missed on my run through. I find this works wonderfully for me, especially since now I don't have the luxury (yes, I'm serious) of sitting on a manuscript for months and then coming back to it with fresh eyes. The best way of finding faults is to have a complete break, for instance by doing copy edits on another story. When I return I start to see things I'd missed before.
Then I revise. If necessary I revise again. I usually have to cut (see my comments above) and so the writing gets tighter and I usually lose some of the descriptions I love. Before I send I do a complete grammar and spell check and a final read. Once or twice I'd not sent the ms as soon as it was ready, but slept on it over a weekend as there was something niggling at me. So far it's only been tiny stuff but I'd rather fix it before the editor sees it.
For editing I try to focus on scenes that move the story forward. If it's a feel good scene but nothing has changed by the end of it, it's likely to go. These days it's less likely to get written, though sometimes they slip through.
When you find the perfect revision process I hope you share it! Tips always welcome.
Annie
Welcome aboard, Annie! We are so glad to have you.
I also haven't had a chance to read your books either, but my hero in my WIP is becoming more alpha everyday.
I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of heroine you pair up with your heroes? What characteristics do you think a heroine needs to have in order to create great chemistry with an alpha?
Hi, Annie! I loved reading what you said about cutting your mss because I too write more than I need and am always pruning away. It sometimes seems that I cut two words for every one I leave.
My hero is a definite beta. With an eye on marketability, I tried making him more alpha, but he refused to cooperate. Do you think you will ever temporarily forsake your alphas to create another beta hero?
Hi Annie! Welcome aboard!
Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to read your work, but I definately have you on my TBR list.
What part of your writing process do you enjoy the most?
Goodness, the Annie/Anna one-two punch. How lucky we are today!
Welcome aboard, Annie. Thanks for helping me start my day with a smile. And congrats on all your success. I love that it's still new and exciting. I have to ask about the titles. Do you ever find out your new title and just giggle?
I'm making a run to the store today and I have "pick up a Greek Tycoon" on my list. LOL! Don't worry, I'll lift with my knees.
Oh, and have you written anything into a story (similar to the heroine becoming a mistress) where you were told you can't do that? Ever dealt with that "that's against the rules" sort of thing?
My favorite bookstore said they had a backcopy of the Pirate Shiekh book (Ransomed Bride?)--and I'll be picking that up as soon as I can! Now Arik and his brother can be a matching set on my bookshelf.
I found "Mistress for the Taking" at the library (only place I could find it!)--so I'm thrilled to read the book that started it all!
And, of course, I need to hunt down the Unexpected Wife!
I was out carousing last night (in my dreams) with a very cheeky pirate name Rafe and his serious looking twin name Gabe. (Definite fallen angels, if you get my drift.) They were very free with the rum...and their hands. Good times, good times.
Okay, because I had to cut questions for the sake of brevity (*crew looks at her* I'm serious, we must have cut four questions!) here are the questions we had to cut:
1.) What's your favorite movie?
2.) Who are your favorite authors to read (clearly Anna Campbell is in the top billing *grins* with good reason)? Was there any particular romance that inspired you to start writing?
3.) What's your advice to struggling (rejected!) writers?
Annie,
Great interview-fun and informative! Looking forward to reading about your Greek Tycoon!!
Di
Wow, Annie. Thanks for such an informative, erudite respoonse. I'm definitely going to try out your revising technique.
Annie, I must say, after reading your interview I just adore you already. Great interview. Absolutely love your call story. Preservation and determiniation. I can already tell you'd make a fabulous pirate!
And I see the Hellion has asked my question. Of course. She reads my mind. I'd love to know who you like to read in your spare time. (Indulge me. I know you probably don't have any save hiding in a closet to get away from everyone.) What? *I* do that.
Hellion has done nothing but sing your highest praises and I do have your books on my To Be Bought list. Last time we were in port, I accidently spent all my coins on rum and men. Oops.
Oops! That was response! I need more coffee. . .
*waving* Anna! I missed your appearance on the bow of the ship this morning! Always good to see you!
Arrr! A hearty welcome to ye. I've got the Sheik's Ransomed Bride here at home in my TBR pile. Looking forward to reading it, Mizzenmast Annie!
Annie, you're a true pirate vixen and ye bring a grin to me face. Love the fact that you wanted all 3 hunks to sojourn with you on the isles. Naughty you! A wench after me own heart!
Thanks for sharing your process. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
I tend to write stories will very alpha males but counter that with strong heroines. What have you found is the best heroine to write with a true alpha male?
Just a note - Annie will be here to answer all these questions. Once she wakes up. LOL! I'm not sure where she is exacty, but for her it's almost tomorrow morning. However, still really early.
So don't forget to check back through the evening for all the fun.
I think it's like 5 am there right now. I expect she'll be rocking the boat tonight after I've gone home. *sighs* Dangit. *LOL*
But she's worth the wait.
In the meantime: Jack Sparrow haiku
Captain Jack Sparrow
To know him is to love him
I want his babies
OR
All things glorious
Jack in bed with me undressed
A date in heaven
Sorry for being late on deck but I'll have you know it's still dark here (Thursday morning). I lay in bed for a while thinking no, stay here where it's warm and cosy, but the sound of water slapping on ship's timbers (or was that hands slapping on bare muscled skin lured me out).
First up thanks for the hearty welcome! So nice to see so many people here and with such great questions, and information about yourselves too. I love hearing what other people write and read!
Wow, Kelly, I'm amazed that you found me erudite! I'm impressed with myself. As for my 'respoonse' that's probably how I'll be spelling here for a while as I wake up. Eyes still blurry but willing and able.
Looking forward to answering all your questions and finding out more about this ships' crew!
Annie
Snort to the haiku! How about:
Richard Armitage!
Oh, come here, Mr. Big Nose!
Not for Ms. Hellion!
Annie, don't tell the Pirates all my secrets! Now they know I'm a lush and a fibber! Oh, that's right, they're pirates. They don't care!
Seriously, guys, it's a real privilege to read Annie's stuff before the rest of the world. I wander around with a cat's got the cream smile all day. And not just because I've raided the liquor cupboard yet again!
By the way, these are great questions. I'm really enjoying Annie's responses. And you girls who haven't read her stuff yet, you've got a treat ahead of you.
Hi Marnee Jo, lovely to meet you. Fascinating that your hero is growing more alpha! Mine did that...
Fantastic question about the sort of heroine who can match an alpha hero. I reckon there's a blog or three in that topic. Would love to hear from others here on this. What works for you?
For me the simplest but probably the best answer is: not a wimp! In any romance I want my heroine to match my hero (I don't mean be the same as him, but complement him, be his equal). With an alpha hero that's critical - otherwise I'd see them going off into the sunset - him in charge and her subservient (No, thank you!). I don't mean they have to have equal power at the beginning - after all, part of the thrill of the stories I love best is the apparently unequal power between H&H when the story starts. It seems that she's got no way to win, or possibly survive with her world intact, yet she soldiers one. I like a heroine with troubles (usually in the form of the hero) that she must overcome. (Must be my fantasy of triumphing over all the roadblocks in my own life). I want her to persevere and not give up. Even when the hero backs her into a corner I want her to keep fighting (I don't mean squabbling but fighting for her independence or dignity or family or whatever).
One of the things my heroes like about my heroines (hey, I know they're biased but it works for them) is their strength. Whether that's stand up and confront him sass or whether it's a dignified refusal to be cowed. He recognises that strength and independence in her and it speaks to something in him. So: inner strength, determination, a willingness to keep fighting no matter what the odds (for something worthwhile).
2 different examples. In The Greek's Unexpected Wife, Tessa has travelled half way round the world to see Stavros as she believes she owes him - it's a matter of honor. He doesn't trust her motives and believes she's out to take advantage of him. Tessa is hurting but her resolve is strong. She won't be bullied by him but her approach is to deny the allegations and retain her dignity. Must say though, that when, finally, she loses her cool, she goes for the jugular!
2nd book - The Billionaire's Bought Mistress - Antonia has no power - she's in a situation where she's agreed (for sound and desperate reasons) to do as Rafe wants, as his mistress. He dictates the terms of their relationship and she's absolutely cornered. Her reaction is to follow the letter of his instructions and then some. She plays up to the image of short term mistress, by wearing the most outrageously sexy clothes she can find, (knowing it drives him crazy) and appearing oblivious of the fuss she's stirring up in public. She flaunts her role even though she hates it but that's her defence mechanism. She doesn't dare dwell on the awful emotions underneath.
Both women find some strength and independence in difficult situations but they do it in completely different ways. Neither gives up, though they're tempted. Both end up triumphing over their situation in the end. And boy, do those guys have to grovel!
That's my take on it. How about anyone else?
Annie
Hi Janga, nice to find another girl who writes long then has to cut. I'm sure Anna wouldn't mind me telling you that she's the same as us in that respect. She just have to do a lot of refining! Hm, does that make us very refined (G)? I doubt it.
Hey, if you like writing beta heroes, then write them! There's a market for lots of different heroes and if that's where your heart is then it's probably what you should write. In my case I saw my guys as betas but they were a bit of a crossover. And I'd started out thinking that though I loved to read a strong alpha I couldn't write one. Partly it was a confidence thing.
Hm, not sure I'd go back to writing a beta hero. Certainly not while I'm writing for Presents, and especially since I've discovered that they're the ones I love most. But fortunately there are all sorts of alphas. They're not all the same so I have lots of exploring to do!
Annie
Lisa, thanks for the welcome. What part of the writing process do I enjoy most? Probably the thrill of having a new story idea that grabs me and writing down that first chapter or two. The idea is fresh and appealing and I'm excited and there's the promise of the unknown ahead as I work out how to navigate through this story. No pesky things like edits to worry about. Bliss! How about you? Lots of people seem to enjoy typing 'The End'. That's not such a thrill for me, especially since I know I have to go back and polish.
Annie
Annie, we're all pirates here. I don't mind at all if you tell Janga that's how I write. Actually I think of it in terms of cooking - you know when you bung everything into a sauce and you reduce it down and reduce it down and reduce it down. And then you realize you need to add more to get the flavor right. So you reduce again. Hopefully at the end, you have something of really concentrated flavor that has all the best bits of what you threw in, just not so much ;-)
Anna - you lost me at the word "cooking". LOL! What's that?!
Refined pirates? That's an oxymoron right there. Or am I thinking paradox? Either way, it just sounds wrong.
Hi Terrio, laughing here at you lifting with your knees to pick up my Greek tycoon. Good on you! Actually, Stavros is no light weight, so watch your back!
Titles? Hm, well, they're not necessarily what I would have chosen (and my teenage daughter hates them with a passion. It must be such a worry having a mum who writes books with titles like that!). Occasionally I get tongue tied on the long titles and have to concentrate to remember them! This one makes me think of Tessa leaping out of a large cake, yelling 'surprise', but it is apt. The working title was The Unwanted Wife, which I rather liked, but it got the kybosh. I've only kept 2 of my own titles: The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride and For the Sheikh's Pleasure.
You asked if I'd ever written anything and been told it was against the rules. Not so far. I'm not sure what the 'rules' are. I have run into interesting discussions about what expletives are more acceptable where, which was interesting. Not that I was going to include anything outrageous, but when an Aussie hero is royally miffed, he is likely to swear (it's in the nature of the beast). Given that Harlequin is a global company it's good to remember that your book might be on sale all around the globe and that some words that are quite acceptable here in Aus would be interpreted completely differently elsewhere.
Annie
Hellion, how great that you found a copy of The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride. I hope you won't mind the fact that Rafiq is wealth (I know you don't like that in a hero) but he's got so much going for him (even more than the earring and the buccaneer tendencies). Hope you enjoy the book. Hope you like Mistress for the Taking too.
Got worried when you said you spent the night with Rafe. My recent hero (Billionaire's Bought Mistress) was Rafe and I wondered what he was doing out carousing with you! But obviously this is a different Rafe! Sounds like you had a good time.
Annie
I do like For the Sheikh's Pleasure. That's a good one. Over here we hear about these imaginary rules all the time. Hero can't be married to someone else, contemp has to have really rich hero or heroine or both, heroine in historical can't be too young or too old. All total doo doo since I can name several books where all of those *rules* are broken. And their great books.
How do you feel about your books being available for a limited time? Do you have any plans to write full length novels in the future?
Hellion, you want me to do MORE work? MORE qestions? Sheesh! Talk about getting out the lash.
What I might do is answer these separately and keep trying to answer the questions others have asked too.
Hellion you asked about advice for the struggling writer:
Absolutely it must be to write what you love best. It took me ages to find my niche but once I did the difference was immense. I’d been writing but not the sort of story I most loved to curl up with. So many writers I know were published because they wrote the story that called to them most strongly, not necessarily the one they thought might fit the latest trend. If you feel your story you can write it so much better. If you love intense gothic novels don’t cramp your style by writing something else. Or if it’s sweet hearth and home stories – go for it. Keep reading the books you love and keep writing. Without those words on the page you’ll only ever dream about succeeding. Nothing, not the best seminar or how-to book can replace what you learn by sitting down and writing a whole book.
One more thought - and that's because you mentioned struggling or rejected writers (oh, I can so relate). One thing I've learned is how hard it is to keep going when you feel like you're getting close to publication but you just can't get your toe in the door. I know of talented writers that gave up then because it can be so hard and seem so soul destroying. You get encouraging feedback but never a yes. To me that's absolutely the hardest thing. You convince yourself it'll never happen, you'll never get published. But remember (and apologies to whoever said it first) the difference between a published writer and an unpublished writer is that that the first one didn't give up.
Annie
Hi girls,
The crew here are getting organised for the day (which means getting out the whip) and I need some food before I expire.
Will be back soon.
Annie
I was at Target today and I looked for TGTUW, but it was sold out. The only presents that was sold out. I'll try again tomorrow.
Hellion-
What was the 4th question you cut? You said you cut 4, then only listed 3. (Ducking the rum bottle)
Di
I found it! Can't believe it but Wally World had it. I now have a Greek Tycoon sitting on my table. That's so fun to say. LOL!
OK, back on deck and raring to go or I will be as soon as I get my coffee (or should I make that rum?)
Di, thanks for the news that TGTUW is sold out. Are you sure? The paranoid writer in me is wondering if it was the only Presents they forgot to put on the shelf! Excited at the prospect someone's bought it. Always an enormous thrill. When your books are only on the shelves for a short time it's great to think someone is grabbing a few here and there.
4th question? Can't remember? Hellion? Are you there or are you swilling liquor with brawny deckhands?
Annie
Hmmm. I think I am skipping yoga tonight and taking home a tycoon!
Just realised I know very little about what you all write and what appeals to you most in the romances you read? Are you mainly fans of the alpha male for intance or do your tastes range far more widely?
Annie
I think I made up the 4th question, guys. I'm a notoriously bad adder. Awful. Awful. Earlier we were trying to figure out what time it was in Australia, and I added it up and said, "I think they're 15 hours ahead" after I extensively added it up...and Terri said "that's right for you, and they're 14 for me...Good job on the simple math."
And then I had to drink more rum because the 15 hours bit took me like 10 minutes to derive
We sort of run the board in tastes around here, Annie. For writing...
Marnee - historical with a touch of para (Regency
Lisa - angstangstangstangst/contemp
Hellion - Brilliant contemp with great humor
Sin - She likes weapons and Alphas. And kickass heroines/contemp
Me - Straight contemp with a mix of humor and angst
For reading, we're all over the place. But I like that mix of beta and alpha. Did we determine that is gamma?
Hi Sin, how nice to hear that Hellion's been singing my praises! Did I tell you how much I'm enjoying this visit?(G). I think she's obviously a woman of great taste and discernment!
Glad you like my call story. I confess I love call stories. They're like romances: triumph over adversity and a happy ending. Honestly, though, that perseverance has been the most important thing. It's so hard to get published. You have to be good and you have to be lucky. And though some things are so much easier when you've had a book accepted, it's still a hard route to navigate. Will I sell my 2nd book? Will my ed like my new idea? Will I ever have a good idea again? Will anyone like my books? What if the critics hate it? How do I keep producing and doing all the other things I have to do?
Don't get me wrong. It's FABULOUS but the hard work and the worry doesn't stop. That's where the rum comes in handy. And the good supportive friends like Anna. And sharing information and fun with other writers like here.
You asked about my fave authors and what book inspired me to start writing. No single book. I've been a voracious reader all my life and devoured so many books as a child that my parents would sometimes complain on a road trip that I missed the scenery because I had my head in a book. But I loved it. I didn't seriously think about being a writer till I'd been a romance reader for many years and was disappointed at the number of romances I picked up that started marvellously then ended with a whimper. In my arrogance I thought I could do better...
Who do I like to read in my spare time? Anyone who's book has been recommended as a darned good read. Anna C definitely! Loretta Chase, Anne Gracie, Christine Wells, Susan Napier, Abby Green, Lynne Graham, Trish Morey, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jenny Crusie, PG Wodehouse, Dorothy Sayers, Georgette Heyer, Liz Fielding, Jane Porter, Elizabeth Peters... I think you could safely say I read a variety, though these last few months not as much as it's been frenetic here. Am looking forward to some serious reading very soon. Still have Anna's book on harems to read (research) and a couple of biographies and a stack (make that several stacks) of TBR fiction. Ah, to be shipwrecked with a handsome pirate and a pile of good books. I'm sure I'd manage to fit in SOME reading.
Annie
I love how Terri introduces our writing. (Terri your check is in the mail! Along with the postcards to send out at Nationals!)
Kathy, Arrr to you too. I love these hearty pirate welcomes. It reminds me of being in Cornwall. I was on a country bus one day and heard someone at the back of the bus with the strongest Arrrr ever. Think Long John Silver. Turned out it was a gorgeous girl of about 18! True!
How cool that you have The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride at home. I fell in love with Rafiq as I wrote that book (don't tell my husband please) so I do hope you discover a soft spot for him (Rafiq, not my husband - that would be just too complicated) too.
Pleased that you approved of me wanting all three sailors. Sounds sensible to me! Why settle for one hunk when, with a little manouevring you can snaffle 3? What? Me, greedy?
Great to discover a kindred spirit - another girl who writes alpha maies. You asked about the best heroine to go with a true alpha. I hope I might have already answered your question with one of my earlier responses. But if not, or if you disagree (I love a discussion on heroes and heroines) or if I was just plain confusing, pipe up and I'll see what I can do.
Um, ideas from stories come from all over the place. I have no real notion. Sometimes I get a spark of an idea from a title. TGTUW was originally The Unwanted Wife. The title came to me as I was writing one of my sheikhs and I loved it. I spent months wandering around wondering why she was unwanted. I didn't have a clue. I even asked friends why she was unwanted. They came up with all sorts of ideas but none of them felt right. Then I started to pull some things together and came up with this story and it just seemed right.
Sometimes it's a scene that inspires me. With this book ...(sorry, I should talk about another I suppose), OK, with the next book (The Desert King's Pregnant Bride - catchy title, eh?) I had a scene in my head that was really vivid - Maggie walking along a dirt road in lashing rain, wearing a beaded dress, wellington boots and a Drizabone (Aussie countryman's raincoat). She'd just discovered the guy who'd been courting her had been using her as camouflage for an illicit affair he'd been having. She'd turned up at his place (with raingear over her first ever glitzy dress) to surprise him and when she saw him with his lover she raced off. She's in the middle of nowhere, dazed and shocked when a huge 4WD turns up and a gorgeous stranger in a tuxedo gets out. He takes her home and ... Then of course I needed to find the rest of the story. But that opening scene was so strong sometimes the little details like the plot can come later...
Other than that a plot can come from an individual character. The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride came from Rafiq - my idea of a perfect sheikh. Or, Rafe, one of my Aussie tycoon's, came from a discussion with Anna about a plot line for a new story. Sometimes discussing twists on tried themes is a good way to stir the creative juices.
If anyone else has hints on where and how to get those plot ideas, I'd love to hear! I sometimes spend a while trying desperately to decide what to write next.
Annie
Hellion. Love the haiku! So you want Jack Sparrow's babies, hm? No points for guessing who you'd have on that desert island!
Annie
Anna, I should have known you couldn't resist the lure of haiku. And of course it would be about Richard.
As an aside, I got out of the shower a little while ago and it was Anna, wanting to chat about some little writing matter that was thoroughly unimportant. We got to the real meat of the discussion when Richard Armitage was mentioned. That took up the bulk of the chat, didn't it Anna?
Thanks, mate, for the lovely compliment on my writing. Much appreciated. And the great thing is I feel the same way about your work. Aren't we lucky? I'm already looking forard to the next Anna Campbell masterpiece. After those opening 3 chapters the other day I'm on tenterhooks waiting for the rest.
Have to second Anna's comments about these being great questions. They really are. Thanks everyone. You've got my brain working overtime now. I feel a little guilty taking so long on my answers but then I think they deserve a decent response.
Annie
Argh!!! PS to last email. Except I'm laughing so hard I can barely type. I meant to say I got out of the shower AND THE PHONE WAS RINGING AND IT WAS ANNA. Not that I got out of the shower and she was there. We're close but not that close. Actually, at the moment there's 1,000miles or so between us.
Annie
I usually see ONE very vivid scene too, and that's where my ideas come from! Like I have this wholy unpublishable manuscript about Lucifer, who wants God's purest soul (a bit of heaven he can keep with him) so he gets her...and he has her through very devious means, and he falls in love with her. Then she dies before the deal is done, so to speak, and she's in heaven--parted from him. That was the scene I saw--was him holding her body as she is taken to heaven...and him dealing with being separated again.
Hi Terrio,
Glad you approve of For the Sheikh's Pleasure. I was rather proud of that one.
Ah, I see what you mean about rules. Well, yes, there are rules. Just read the guidelines for any publisher you're targeting and you'll see that. In my case, for Presents, the hero has to be powerful and rich (sorry Hellion, but you don't have to dwell on that wealth). As for him not being married to someone else - in a book of just 50-55,000 it would be pretty hard to get rid of the wife and bring in the new love interest in an emotionally satisfying way in that word length. From a personal perspective I'd rather a story that focused on them falling in love and wouldn't want him betraying his wife with another woman. I wouldn't see that as the behaviour of a hero.
The best thing to do is read the guidelines and read the books that are being published and try to ignore the rules passed on the grapevine as they'll restrict your writing. I speak with experience of being in a writer's group where everything was rule based and I almost stopped writing - it stifled me and I lost confidence in my writing. The rule is, does it work? Seriously.
Other than that, I find it better to make sure that the hero and heroine act in ways that I believe to be heroic. I don't mean necessarily saving starving millions or throwing themselves in front of a car to save someone, but for me they need an inner core of decency (even if they're 'on the edge' in some ways). Does that make sense?
Anna's books are a case in point to support you in the rule breaking. Her Claiming the Courtesan wasn't in line with other things being published. Her Courtesan WAS a courtesan, it wasn't just some cute ploy and her mad, bad and dangerous to know duke really WAS dangerous. What a book! No wonder it was snapped up.
So I think read the guidelines and ignore the rest. My rules are does it work, is it real to these particular characters in this situation and do I feel the emotion. Hope that helps.
Annie
Terrio, sorry I forgot your question about having my books only on the shelf for a month. Of course I'd love to have them there longer. That would be so nice. I'd love to go to the store month after month and rearrange them on the shelves (G). But it's a fact of life and that rapid turnover system is part of what has worked for Harleqin so well. And it also means, with the enormous distribution, that lots of people all round the world get a chance to see the books.
I haven't got plans to write single title at the moment. Give me a break (G), I'm still coming to grips with producing decent category stories! Must admit to jealousy though when Anna frets about only have 11 months to produce her next book. I wish! The thing is that in the single title line it's probably the historicals that appeal to me most and I doubt I'd have the voice for those.
Annie
Annie - I can really relate to that stifling bit. I've only been at this about a year and a half but I've still gone through phases. And being stifled by those rules happened last summer. Really messed me up. Thankfully, I got over it. And after a few more ecourses and workshops, I feel like I have some clue what I'm doing.
Still lots to learn but better off than when I started. *g*
Don't worry, Annie, I would have any of those guys' babies. Even Orlie's short bus babies.
And I loved Norrington in the 2nd movie. God, he was dreamy!
Yay, Terrio! You have a Greek Tycoon on your table? Wow! I have some in my spare room. I hope they're getting along OK. I always laugh at my good friend Anna who has a Hungarian Prince under her bed (unpubbed story with a seriously luscious hero). I keep wanting to visit and share a bottle of tokay with him but she keeps him to herself.
OK, and now for the Aussie question. What's Wally World? Is it Walmart?
Annie
What do you mean "Orlie's short bus babies"?! That's just wrong. And extremely politically incorrect.
Hellion, you shock me! A pirate who practices yoga? Glad to see we've tempted you to spend the evening with a guy instead.
Annie
Ah Hellion, I'm so glad someone else finds these time zones confusing. I'm used to UK times as my editor is there. But US time flummoxes me. I have to go and look up the world clock on the net. Hope the rum helped.
Annie
I love your answers! Don't apologize!!!!
Terrio, thanks for the info on what you're writing. Terrific mix! I take my hat off to you all, especially those writing with a touch of humour - I love to read it but it somehow doesn't fit in Presents.
Hey, you remind me a bit of my local writing group, we have writers of Presents (me), sweet contemporary, single title historical, historical/paranormal with a strong dose of humour and kickass heroines, straight paranormal, young adult, and contemp with humor.
No wonder I feel at home here!
As for a gamma hero - no no, I don't know! Argh, too confusing!
Annie
I would not be fooling around with Orlie for his mind. And of course, I'm un-PC. Hello...
It's really not that hard to talk me out of exercising. *LOL* And I'll always pass up the gym for a cute guy.
Unless it's a cute guy who shoots pigs, films it, then shows it to me on our blind date.
Wally World is Wal-Mart, yes. *grins* We also like to refer to Lane Bryant as "Lame Giant" too...
Wow, Hellion, that's some story you've got there! Aren't you writing it? Talk about built in conflict! That's so strong.
I've got goosebumps reading about that one.
Annie
Yep, Wally World = Wal-Mart. And I only figured out the time because I googled. What did we do before Google?!
No humor in Presents? Really? Not even a little?
That Hungarian under the bed cracks me up. If my current WIP never goes anywhere, I'll have a hottie chef under my bed. Makes it tempting not to send it out. LOL!
Hellion, yep, Norrington was so appealing in that second film. I'd developed a soft spot for the actor (whose name escapes me)as we get a lot of British drama here so it was great seeing him on the big screen.
Have to say I don't even know what Lane Bryant is. Must be just in the US. We have a store here called Harvey Norman. For years the locals have called it Hardly Normal and now they even use that in their tounge in cheek TV ads.
Annie
Oh, the Lucifer story's finished...but I got a bunch of "Thank you, we're running away now" that Lucy is sitting under my bed. I moved onto Ben.
Terrio, yes you can have humour in Presents novels. Anne McAllister does it beautifully sometimes. But it can't be the focus. The reader doesn't pick up a Presents book for a laugh out loud experience, but for an intensely emotional rollercoaster of a ride (and you wonder why I'm paranoid about my ability to deliver sometimes).
Glad to hear you've moved past that stifled stage after listening to all the 'rules'. They can be a lot of twaddle and sometimes the people who insist on them the most are the people who know the least about what a publisher will accept. I don't mean the guidelines - those you do have to pay attention to, but the other dos and don'ts... I remember now who it was said that the only rule is 'Does it work?'. It was Emma Darcy, one of the all time queens of category romance. Believe me, she knows what she's talking about.
Annie
I'm going to gloat a little I gave Annie goosebumps. That's so cool! Thank you!!!
Hardly Normal! I love it! That's awesome.
Well, considering that Lane Bryant is for plus-size women (they have the best bras! I love them), using the tongue in cheek LAME GIANT would not be a good marketing ploy.
Terrio, well that Hungarian is definitely there. I know it for a fact. Hope your hottie chef makes it onto the shelves.
Hm, just thinking who I've got under the bed...the professor who's a part time stripper (long story), the sexy-as-all-get-out retired tennis player who's the boy next door, the stranger who turns up at a deserted house in the middle of a storm, claiming to be the heroine's husband, the lawyer come man of action who saves heroine from evil villain armed with a crossbow.
A motley crew, but all hunks in their own way!
Annie
Hellion, rotten news about the big Rs for Lucy. Can't be revised and sent anywhere else?
Annie
Well, one of the suggestions was to change it from Lucifer to "someone else", then it'd be cool. But that wasn't really the point of my book.
Clearly I need to change the point of my book to "getting it published" rather than "making a statement"--so really, it's my fault.
I get the humor thing. I just like to have a little smile and maybe some funny sarcasm with my emotion. That's really what I shoot for. I do have an idea for a Romantic Comedy but the humor is not the focus in anything else.
How quickly do you have to turn out these stories? And how far ahead do you work?
Are you serious about not thinking you can deliver? I don't even read HP books--but once I read yours, I decided you were the exception to the rule. YOU DELIVER. YOU STAND AND DELIVER!!!!
Wow, you got Hellion yelling. That must be good.
Oh, they're good! They're awesome. We need Anna back in here. She'd yell too.
I want to know more about the professor-turned-stripper!
Ah, Hellion, it's a fine line sometimes between writing what you want and making it marketable. But I'm darned if I could think who else he could be if not Lucifer. A minor demon? Can't see that would make much difference except to weaken the impact. (Says she as if she's an editorial expert!).
Hope you find a home for it one day. It sounds like it has that real punch of emotion!
Annie
I believe you. I've been hearing people rave about Annie for I don't know how long. She has quite a following. Now she has a few more to add to her entourage. LOL!
Oh, Annie, are you going to be in San Fran for RWA Nationals?
Hellion, you are so good for a girl's ego! Thank you for the praise! It's like you and your Lucifer story. You love it but then there's always the question of whether others will love it too. And apart from the occasional mail from a reader you don't really know how a book went. Even if it sold you don't know if people liked what they read. I suppose it's a matter of seeing over time if there's a trend in sales.
Besides, I have to worry about whether my book is any good. It's part of my job (G). And if I'm exhausted from writing one book and trying to decide what to write next, it's sometimes hard to believe I can write another book as good as I think the last one was (by the time I'd polished and revised and sweated over it). You know what I mean?
Annie
Validation is VERY important!
Terrio, the time frame for stories varies, depending on what I've signed up to on my contract! With this current story I'll be out of contract but am already trying to nut out the next one.
I've been writing about 2 1/2-3 stories a year while working part time in the day job. Some people write more than that and others less. This year has been a little tough on the home front (everything's fine but life was very disrupted) and that's affected my writing. This year I've got 3 releases - TGTUW, The Billionaire's Bought Mistress (in an anthology in the UK - still waiting on news as to if/when it'll be out in the US) and The Desert King's Pregnant Bride (Oct in the UK but yet to hear the date for the US).
Annie
Terrio, I love romantic comedies. I think they must be the hardest of all to write. But they are so terrific.
Annie
Annie, I loved having you on the ship today, but I've got to go. I have a 30 minute drive home (still at work) and it's 8:30 now... *sighs* You must come visit us again when the Desert King comes out...whichever date you want. :)
I hope the others log back on and say hellos again!
Wish me luck. I'll let you know if I found your new release at the local walmart!
Ah, Hellion, how did I know the professor turned stripper would appeal to you? Sadly that one isn't going to go far. But it was a hoot to write. The first chapter end up with the heroine (who's been celebrating her hen's night) hand-cuffed to an almost but not quite naked stripper on the streets of inner city Sydney (with no key to the hand-cuffs).
You're so right about validation. It's vital. Thank you again, you can shout about my books as much as you like!
Annie
Terrio, would love to go to San Fransisco for the RWA Nationals. I've never been. Unfortunately it's not likely this year. Would love to though, especially as Arik is a finalist in the National Readers' Choice Awards and Anna has a double RITA nomination.
Will you girls be there? It'd be lovely to see you in person some time.
annie
No, you can't leave me HANGING like that! You have to write that book! I don't care when! You must!!!
Hellion, who's now going to have strippers on the brain!
I can't go to RWA this year, but maybe next or the year after. (I like smaller conferences, myself. *LOL*)
Hellion, good luck on that drive home. You should have left ages ago!
As for the stripper, the book's written, but it's not such a good book...Maybe one day I'll go back and revisit it.
Thanks for having me here today as a guest. It's been such fun.
Actually I have to go out myself for a couple of hours. Will call in later to see if there's mail to answer.
Annie
Oh, I bet I missed you. Been putting up curtains, folding clothes, watching the final America's Next Top Model (the big girl won!!) and now watching American Idol. Too bad I haven't gotten to that homework.
I'll be in San Fran and I'll scream extra loud for Anna on your behalf. *g* There's always next year!
Arr, Annie! Just made it in to wave a quick hello and thanks for a fabbo interview :) (you won't believe how weird it is being here - I'm a closet wench *vbg* and first fell in love with pirates with aptly, Johanna Lindsey's A Pirate's Love LOL)
Mizzenmast Annie, you've been spectacular today! Sorry I've missed all the fun and haikus about Jack too. Arrrr!
Swagger with the rum
Jack, I long for your embrace
Bed me now, in haste.
Thanks for answering my questions about alpha males, Annie. Talk about an epiphany! You make writing seem so clear and easy. You've inspired me and I thank you for that. :-)
Lucifer seducing a woman to get a piece of heaven, falling in love, and losing her in the end? I'd read that in a heartbeat, Hellion!
Love the scene where the woman is drenched and picked up by a tuxedo clad hunk, Annie! Awesome visuals.
Thanks for boarding the Revenge! Rum all around, mateys.
Hey, Terrio, that's beaut of you - lots of raucous calls are just what Anna deserves. If my some chance I make it to the conference I'll be on the lookout for you. If not, I'll hope to catch up another time.
Annie
Hi Paula, terrific to see you here. I've been in love with pirates for ages. LOVE those old swashbuckling movies (sigh). What a pity Pirates of the Caribbean hasn't created a trend of more buccaneering movies.
Annie
Hi Kathy,
Love that haiku of yours - 'bed me now, in haste' has a definite ring to it!
I'm really glad my random thoughts on alphas and their mates was of some help. That's so terrific. Don't know about making it easy though! But I'm thrilled to have contributed something terrific.
Isn't Hellion's plotline a beauty? I do hope it gets a home somewhere. And if it does, Hellion, please let me know! Can see I'll have to pop in here now and then to hear how you're all going on.
Pleased that you like the sound of my opening scene for The Desert King's Pregnant Bride, Kathy. It was fun to write. I love putting my heroine in a lousy situation - isn't that mean of me? And Khalid looks good in a tuxedo, believe me!
Ooh, by the way, a friend has just told me that TGTUW is on the Waldenbooks bestseller list this week! Yay! I'm amazed, I wasn't sure how well these new mid month releases for Presents would catch on.
Thanks everyone, for the the warm and merry welcome. It's been a total joy, especially the haiku! (bed me now...)!
I look forward to hearing of your successes. In the mean time, pass the rum, I'm off for a bit of R&R.
Mizzenmast Annie
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